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News UK June 2006
< News UK May 2006, > News UK July 2006, June 28 *Every action counts intitiative launched by government *1st annual review of 'Together We Can'. DCLG, Together We Can Annual Review, Loosening up for more trust and togetherness - Comment from David Wilcox / Community involvement 27 *Less than 40 per cent of people in England feel they can influence decisions in their local area - 2005 Citizenship Survey *Mayor of London pledges sustainable wood policy. www.greenpeace.org.uk 26 *East Suffolk local food network flourishing since planned superstore turned down. CPRE, The town that said no to Tesco, The Guardian / Local needs met locally, East of England *Transport 2000 hails challenge to roads-first transport policy. Transport 2000 has applauded a proposed change in transport policy in the East of England in which scrutineers of the draft East of England Regional Transport Strategy have called for the scrapping of road schemes and a new focus on carbon reduction and less car use. Transport 2000 / Reduced dependence on cars 22 *Make South East England housing developments 'water neutral', say Friends of the Earth. FoE / Saving water *CPRE sees East of England Panel Report as "another nail in the coffin for the government's 'Sustainable Communities Plan'". "In rejecting the concept of a London to Peterborough growth area, this report deals another welcome blow to the Government's ill-conceived so-called Sustainable Communities Plan. But over half a million new homes in the East of England over the next two decades pose a major threat to the region's environment." Lawrence Wragg, Chairman of CPRE East of England: 'It's now time for the Government to recognise that a top-down approach to development does not work - and Secretary of State Ruth Kelly's response to this Plan will be a key test of her department's committment to sustainable development. The challenge of accommodating major growth without damaging the region's environment remains. Constraints on water are particularly severe, with the Panel Report calling for at least 25% savings over current levels of water consumption." CPRE / East of England 20 *South East England Regional Assembly slams 'fantasy homes game'. The Assembly has slammed speculative new housing numbers released by Government today as unproven fantasy figures that bear no relation to the region's needs. Seera, CPRE / South East England *MPs highlight sprawl threat from new government policy on housing. CPRE / Affordability and the Supply of Housing, CPRE Comment, Spatial planning *Greenpeace launches campaign on real solution to climate change *Government encouraged by response to its New Growth Points Initiative, DCLG includes a listing of areas which have submitted growth proposals. / Spatial planning 19 *Friends of the Earth fear review of the planning system could pose major threat to communities and sustainable development. FoE / Spatial planning 18 *UK biodiversity - significant gains, but major challenges remain. The 2005 Reporting Round of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, shows 22% of priority habitats and 11% of priority species are increasing. However 39% of priority habitats and 27% of priority species are still declining. Defra 16 *Climate challenge fund winners announced *Poverty and complicated benefit system main reasons for informal low-paid work, says JRF Report. JRF / Opportunities for all 15 *Climate change: House of Commons Committee to examine the 'citizen’s agenda' EFRA / Sustainability networks * Decision to build Europe’s biggest incinerator in London condemned. Friends of the Earth research shows that a waste to electricity incinerator such as that proposed for Belvedere produces more carbon dioxide from fossil fuels (such as plastics in rubbish) than a gas-fired power station. FoE topic 14 *Compulsory energy rating for homes to help tackle climate change. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will be part of the Home Information Packs to be introduced next year. Friends of the Earth welcome the initiative but say Government must also introduce other steps to take action on tackling emissions from other sectors - and not just rely on individuals to reduce their personal energy use. DCLG, FoE / Sustainable energy 9 *Defra warns of first "summer smog" of 2006. Defra / Environment quality 8 *Government aiming to reduce planning restrictions on small-scale microgeneration equipment for people's homes. DCLG / Urban & village design 6 *Lords describe Government's estimates of growth in water demand from housebuilding plans as "wholly unconvincing". The full report: Water Management, House of Lords, Science and Technology Select Committee (Sub-Committee I), 8th Report of 2005/06, HL Paper 191-I, ISBN 010 400871 7, is available via The UK Parliament website. UK Parliament / Drought in England and Wales 1 *London restaurant seeking all ingredients from within area covered by the London Underground. The BBC’s Urban Chef programme - at 6.30pm, every week day Monday 5 June - Friday 17 June, BBC TWO - follows the quest of Oliver Rowe, owner of restaurant Konstam at the Prince Albert, 2 Acton St, King's Cross - to find all his ingredients locally. The ethos behind the restaurant is echoed in the events of London Sustainabilty Weeks which runs from 4 -18 June. Sustain *Water meeting supports Environment Agency's assessment that drought prospects are worse than for 30 years in the South East. Representatives from the water industry, Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Consumer Council for Water, met Environment Secretary David Miliband and Environment Minister Ian Pearson today at Defra to examine water supply challenges. Another meeting is planned for the end of the year to review progress and short term drought issues in the south east are to be kept under review. Defra / Drought in England and Wales, South East England *Government's Social Fund sometimes fails those most in need, says JRF Report. The report urges fundamental review of the scheme: "The evidence that loan repayment leads to hardship suggests that any new scheme ought to be more grant-based." Joseph Rowntree Foundation / Social inclusion 200606